Skip to main content

This SD card stores and stabilizes your video footage

SD cards might be on the chopping block as their smaller siblings become the standard. But their usefulness is far from over if VirtualGimbal has a say in the matter.

Identical in design to your average SD card, the secret features of the VirtualGimbal hide within the unsuspecting frame. In addition to capturing whatever video you’re shooting, VirtualGimbal also captures the movement of your camera using an onboard gyroscope.

Recommended Videos

First seen at Maker Faire Tokyo, VirtualGimbal isn’t the first external means of recording camera movement to compensate for shake in post-production — the most notable device that comes to mind is the SteadXP — but it’s certainly the smallest and most innovative method of achieving stabilized footage we’ve seen.

Its creator, Yoshiaki Sato, explained the device to PetaPixel, saying “VirtualGimbal is a MicroSD-to-SD adapter that contains a 3-axis gyro sensor. It measures the angular velocities of camera while recording video, so users can stabilize videos after using the angular velocity data by PC.”

The main takeaway from his statement is the mention of data processing in post-production. Unlike in-camera stabilization, VirtualGimbal relies on a proprietary computer program to extrapolate the camera movement and digitally correct the shaky footage in post-production.

While many digital stabilization programs can be a bit fidgety, the example video above shows that VirtualGimbal gets the job done. Mr. Yoshiaki elaborated to PetaPixel that “users can adjust zoom [trimming] ratio and intensity of video stabilization while playing the video,” a key variable for times when you need to balance resolution with stabilization. Below is a video of the algorithm in action:

virtualGimbal - Post-processing stabilizer for DSLR. test2

Right now, VirtualGimbal is little more than a prototype. No release date or pricing information has been shared.

When it does come to market, though, it could prove to be a vital tool for anyone looking for stable footage without the need for heavy counterweights or intricate cameras and lenses.

Gannon Burgett
Former Editor
Astronaut’s stunning photo would look just fine in an art gallery
A star trail captured from the ISS.

In his final days aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in a mission that’s lasted six months, American astronaut Don Pettit has posted a sublime shot that wouldn’t look out of place in an art gallery.

The extraordinary image was captured through a window of a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft docked at the ISS, and shows star trails and city lights on Earth some 250 miles below.

Read more
Cool space video shows star trails stretching over city lights
A screen grab from a video showing star trails stretching over city lights on Earth.

NASA astronaut Don Pettit dazzled us on Tuesday with a gorgeous image showing star trails and city lights as seen from the International Space Station (ISS).

On Wednesday, he turned the "wow" dial all the way up to 11 by sharing a video clip from which Tuesday’s image was taken.

Read more
Blue Ghost’s moon landing shown in dramatic new footage
Images of the lunar surface captured by the Blue Ghost lander.

When the Blue Ghost lander reached the lunar surface on March 2, Firefly Aerospace become the first commercial company to fully succeed in a soft moon landing at the first attempt.

A week on, and a team at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia has just released first-of-its-kind footage of a lunar lander’s powerful engine plumes interacting with the moon’s surface, captured as the Blue Ghost touched down.

Read more